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Xearington 




Zhc Birthplace of 
Hmetican XibertiP 




DltlM BKATKN AT TH K BATTLE OK I.KXINGTON 
HV \V,M. niAMOND. NOW IN THK TOSSKSSION 

oi' riiK i.KxiNr.TOv iiisioricai. soti- 

KIV. IIIK lONd HOI, I. ON THIS 

1)1(1' ^I WAS rilK intST OVERT 

ACr OF IHE HK\()I ITION. 




iiAVi:s .mi:m(huai. iointain and siatik ok cai'iain .ioiik i'ahki 
i.i:xiN(ii'()N co.MMON. i)i:Di(Ari:i) I !*()(>. 
m:Nuv II. KiTsox, srui.i'ioit. 



'Ilic f()iiii(l;ili()ii and driiikiiijj; hnsiii arc of field stoiu-s. At tin 
ground level are small basins (one on eitliei- side) for animals nnablt 
to drink fi-otn llie ))rinei|)al or horse basin. 



LEXINGTON 



BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN LIBERTY 



A HANDBOOK 

CONTAINING 

AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF LEXINGTON — PAUL REVKRe"s 
NARRATIVE OF HIS FAMOUS RIDE — A SKETCH OF THE TOWN 
AND THE PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST — INSCRIP- 
TIONS ON ALL HISTORIC TABLETS — DIRECTORY 
— MAP AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS 



By FRED S. PIPER 

PAST PRESIDENT AND PAST HISTORIAN OF THE 
LEXINGTON HISTORICAI. SO(IElV 



Copyrifiht 19(1?. lOlO. l!>1.5, 1918, 1920. by Lexington Historical Socioty 



SIXTH EDITION 



LKXINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIKTY 

LEXINGTON 

1920 



f^4 



THE OLD MONUMENT ON THE COMMON. 



SaCKK.I) lO Lll!EllT\ «S; TlIF, IJlGllTS OF MANKINo!!! 

TnK I'HKKDoM <!v Independknce of America 

Sealed \- defended with the blood of her sons. 

I'his Monument is erecied 

Hn the inhahitants of Lexington, 

Indeh the patronage <!^- at the expence, of 

The Commonwealth of M ass\( hisetts, 

To IHE MEMORY OF THEIR FeLI.OW CiTIZENS, 

Ensign Robert Munroc, Mess'''. Jonas Pafker, 

Sam7tel Hadley, Jonathan f/arnnofon. Ji/n' ., 

Isaac Muzzy, Caleb Harrington \N})Jo//n Brown 

Of Lexington, <S: A sa/ic/ Porter ov Wortrn, 

Who fki.i, on this field, the FHtsr N'ktims to ihI'; 

SwoHD OF British 1\rann\ iS: Oppression, 

On the morning of the ever memorahle 

Nineteenth of April, An. I)om. ITT.i. 

The Die w as cas t I ! I 

'I"he Blood of these Martyrs, 

I\ THE CAISE of (IoD \- PHEIR ColNlin . 

Was the Cement of the L nion of these States, then 
Colonies; iv (;ave the spring to the spirit. Firmness 

And resou iton of their Fellow Citizens. 

Then rose as one man, to revenge their hrethhen's 

Blood, and at the point of the sword, to assert i\: 

Defend iheir native Hights. 

'I"he\ Noiii.\ DAii'i) ro HE freeI! 

I HE (ON test W\S Long, HI.OoDN iV AFFECTING. 

RiGHTEors IIeavkn approved iiH'; solemn appeal; 

\ HTORY (ROWNED THEIR ARMS; AND 

I HE Peace, Lll!ERT^, iS: Independence of the United 

Sr\iEs OF .\meru A, was iheh! (H.oRiors Reward. 

Built in the year ijgg. 



\ 



INSCRIPTION BY REV. JONAS CLARKE. 

^Cf.A605081 

^ --^C 22 1920 




MUXKOK TAVKRN 




r was ill tlie ^vny dawn of tliat April 
nioniiii<>- 177.^ — A oloi-juus iiiornino- 
lor Aineiica " — when tlie Royal troops 
icaclied Lexington C'oiimion. 

Tlii'v liad lieard tlit- dniiii Ix-at of 
tlic niimite-inen and advanced on 
double ciuiek " witii loaded nuiskets. 
AI)oiit seventy ininutt-nien, brave 
defenders of their riolits, had assein- 
bk-d to meet six hundred trained 
soldiers. Too few to resist, loo brave toHy," they did the 

best they eould, and after years of eontliet here beoun, Ameri- 
ean Liberty was born, i'lie colonists had lono- contended a<jainst 
British oppression. .laiiu-s Otis resij>ned his ofhce as the Kino's 
advocate and defended the ri<>hts of Bostonians, — the first step 
in the revolution. The stamp act had been passed and repealed. 
Patrick Henry had spoken out Ixildly in \ iryinia. 

The first Continental Congress met Se|)tember .">, 1774'. 




SII.HOl KTTi: OF 
RK\ . JONAS t I.AHKK 



Tlie Provincial Conp;ress assembled 
oiu- month later, assunieil the gover- 
uu'nt ot' the folony, except in Boston 
where tlie British troops were sta- 
tioned, took measures to or<>'ani/e 
militia c-ompanies and to prcpari' tor 
resistance by force it necessary. Ex- 
ecutive power was placed in the hands 
of the Committee of Safety, prominent 
members of which were Dr. Joseph 
Warren and John Hancock. 

A close watch was kept over the 
movements of the British soldiers. The King had entrusted the 
o'overnment of Massachusetts to Gen. Gage, the commander of 
the British army in America. He was a man of weak character, 
and his petty and injudicious acts aggravated the inhabitants. 

Large (juantities of military supplies had been collected at 
Salem and Concord. Gage's attempt to take the stores at Salem, 
February '26, \~~5, resulted in a ridiculous failure. In March 
it was reported that he intended to capture or destroy the stores 
at Concord, which, from this time on. were carefully guarded. 
The Provincial Congress, which had been in session in 
Concord, adjourned April l."). 

The Conunittee of Safety adjourned at Concord, April IT, 
and Sanmel Adams and Jolm Hancock, arch traitors in the 
estimation of the Royal government, then became the guests of 
Rev. Jonas Clarke, pastor at Lexington. Gen. Gage kept his 
plans secret, and it is interesting to conjectin-e the part i)layed 
by his wife wlio was tin- daughter of a New Jersey patriot. 

Gordon, who was chaplain of the Pro\ incial Congress, says 
in his History of the Independence of the United States:" 
''A daugter of lil)erty sent word by a trusty hand to Mr. 
Samuel Adams, residing in company with Mr. Hancock about 
thirteen miles from Charlestown, that the troops were coming 
out in a tew days — .** Several historical writers seem to con- 
firm tlie belief tiiat this " Daugliter of Liberty " was the wife 



of Gen. Gage, and that she gave Dr. Warren valuable informa- 
tion, vv'hich was sent by the trusty hand " of Paul Revere, 
and by William Dawes as well, to Adams and Hancock at 
Lexington. 

(General Thomas Gage, born 1721, died 1787; married, 
December 8, 17-^8, Margaret Kembal, daughter of Peter Kem- 
bal. President of the Council of New Jersey.) 

Relative to what followed, what can be more interesting 
or authentic than Paul Revere's own written narrative ? 

The Saturday night preceding the 19th of April, about twelve 
o'clock at night, the boats belonging to the transports were all launched, 
and carried under the sterns of the men-of-war. (They had been pre- 
viously hauled up and repaired.) We likewise found that the grena- 
diers and light infantry were all taken off duty. 

From these movements we expected something serious was to be 
transacted. On Tuesday evening, the 1 8th, it was observed that a 
number of soldiers were marching towards the bottom of the Common. 
About ten o'clock, Dr. Warren sent in great haste for me, and begged 
that I would immediately set off for Lexington, where Messrs. Hancock 
and Adams were, and acquaint them of the movement, and that it was 
thought they were the objects. When I got to Dr. Warren's house, 1 
found he had sent an express by land to Lexington. — a Mr. William 
Dawes. The Sunday before, by 
desire of Dr. Warren, I had been 
to Lexington, to Messrs. Han- 
cock and Adams, who were at 
the Rev. Mr. Clark's. 1 returned 
at night through Charlestown ; 
there I agreed with a Colonel 
Conant and some other gentle- 
men, that if the British went out 
by water we would show two 
lanthorns in the North Church 
steeple ; and if by land, one as a 
signal ; for we were apprehensive 
it would be difficult to cross the 
Charles River, or get over Boston 
Neck. I left Dr. Warren, called 
upon a friend, and desired him to 
make the signals. I then went 
home, took my boots and surtout. 




KARr,.PF.RC V 




went to the north part of 
the town, where I kept a 
boat ; two friends rowed me 
across Charles River a little 
to the eastward where the 
Somerset man-of-war lay. 
It was then yoiin^ flood, the 
ship was windinfj, and the 
moon was rising. 

They landed me on the 
Charlestown side. When I 
got into town, I met Colonel 
Conant and several others ; 
they said they had seen our 
signals. I told them what 
was aetiiig, and went to get 
me a horse ; I got a horse of 
Deacon Larkin. While the 
horse was preparing, Rich- 
ard Devens. ?]sq., who was poktrait by stuart 
one of the Committee of Safety, came to me. and told me that he came 
down the road from Lexington after sundown that evening ; that he 
met ten British officers, well mounted and armed, going up the road. 

I set off upon a very good horse ; it was then about eleven o'clock, 
and very pleasant. After I had passed Charlestown Neck, and got 
nearly opposite where Mark was hung in chains. I saw two men on 
horseback under a tree. When I got near them I discovered they were 
British officers. One tried to get ahead of me, and the other to take 
me. I turned my horse very quick and galloped towards Charlestown 
Neck, and then pushed for the Medford road. The one who chased me, 
endeavoring to cut me off, got into a clay pond, near where the new 
tavern is now built. I got clear of him, and went through Medford, 
over the bridge, and up to Menotomy. In Medford, I awakened the 
Captain of the Minute Men ; and after that. I alarmed almost every 
house till I got to Lexington. 

I found Messrs. Hancock and Adams at the Rev. Mr. Clark's; I 
told them my errand, and enquired for Mr. Dawes; they said he had 
not been there; I related the story of the two officers, and supposed that 
he must have been stopped, as he ought to have been there before me. 
After I had been there about half an hour, Mr. Dawes came; we re- 
freshed ourselves, and set off for Concord to secure the stores, etc.. 
there. We were overtaken by a young Dr. Prescott, whom we found 
to he a high Son of Liberty. I told them of the ten officers that Mr. 



10 




1 1 



Devens tiiet. and that it was probable we riiij^lit be stopped before we got 
to Coiiford; for I supposed that after night they divided themselves; 
and that two of them liad fixed themselves in such passages as were 
most likely to stoj) any intelligence going to Concord. I likewise men- 
tioned that we had better alarm all the inhabitants till we got to Con- 
cord; the yonng Doctor much approved of it. and said he would stoji 
with either of us. for the ])eoi)le between that and Concord knew him 
and wonid gi\e the more credit to what we said. We had got nearly 
halfway; Mr. Dawes .■ind the Doctoi- stopped to alarm the people of a 
lioiise; I was about one innulred rods ahead, when I saw two men. in 
nearly the same situations as t hose officers were, near Charlestown. I 
called for the Doctor and Mr. Dawes to come up; in an instant I was 
snrroimded by four; — they had placed themselves in a straigiit roati, 
that inclined each way; they had taken down a pair of bars on the north 
side of the road, and two of them Mere uiuler a tree in the pasture. 
The Doctor being foremost, he came up. and we tried to get past them; 
but they being armed with pistols and swords, they forced us into the 
pasture; the Doctor jum])ed his iiorse over a low stone wall, and got to 
Concord. 1 observed a wood at a small distance, and made for that. 
When I got there, out started six officers on liorsel)ack. and ordered 
me to dismount; — otic of them, who .aiipcared to ha\e the command, 
examined me. where I came from, and what my name was? 1 told 
him. lie aski-d me if 1 was an ex|)ress ? I .-inswcred in 
lie demand<'(l what time I left 
Hoston y I told him; and addt'd 
that their troops had catched 
agromid in })assing the river, and 
that there would be five hundred 
.\mericans tiiere in a sh()rt time 
for I had alarmed the coimti-y ail 
the w.iy up. He immedi.itelx 
rode towards those who stojiped 
us. \\li(ri all five of them came 
down upon a full gallop; one of 
them, who I afterwards foinul to 
be a Major Mitchell of the Mh 
Uegiment. cla|)ped his pistol to 
niy li<'ad, called me l)y name, 
and said he was going to ask me 
some (piestions. and if I did not 
give him true answers he would 

blow my brains out. He then ponritAir of 

asked me similar (|uestions to ma. toil wii.i.ia.m dawks 



the affirmati\e. 




12 




those above. He then ordered me 
to mount ray horse after searching 
me for arms. He then ordered them 
to advance and to lead me in front. 
When we got to the road, they 
turned down toward Lexington, and 
when we had got about one mile, 
the Major rode up to the officer that 
was leading in(! and told him to give 
me to the Sergeant. As soon as lie 
told me, the Major ordered him, if I 
attempted to run, or anybodj' in- 
sulted them, to blow my brains out. 
We rode till we got near Lexington 
meeting-house, when the militia 

fired a volley of guns, which ap- 

j . / .1 1 iMA.ioii rii'(AiriN 

peared to alarm them very much. 

The major inquired of me how far it was to Cambridge, and if there 

were any other road. After some consultation, the Major rode up to 

the Sergeant, and asked if his horse was tired. He answered him he 

was — he was a Sergeant of Grenadiers, and had a small horse — then 

take that man's horse. I dismounted and the Sergeant mounted my 

horse, when they all rode toward Lexington meeting house. I went 

across the burying-ground and some pastures, and came to the Rev. 

Mr. Clark's house, where I found Messrs. Hancock and Adams. I 

told them of my treatment, and they concluded to go from that house 

towards Woburn. I went with them, and a Mr. Lowell, who was a 

clerk to Mr. Hancock. When we got to the house where they intended 

to stop, Mr. Lowell and myself returned to Mr. Clark's to find what 

was going on. When we got there an elderly man came in; he said he 

had just come from the tavern, that a man had come from Boston, who 

said there were no British troops coming. Mr. Lowell and myself went 

towards the tavern, when we met a man on a full gallop, who told ns 

the troops were coming ujj the rocks. We afterwards met another, who 

said they were close by, Mr. Lowell asked me to go to the tavern with 

him. to get a trunk of papers belonging to Mr. Hancock. We went up 

chamber, and while we were getting the trunk, we saw the British very 

near, upon a full march. We hurried towards Mr. Clark's house. In 

our way, we passed through the militia. There were about fifty. 

When we had got about one hundred yards from the meeting-house. 

the British troops appeared on both sides of the meeting-house. In 

their front was an officer on horseback. They made a halt; when I saw 

and heard a gun fired, which appeared to be a pistol. Then I could 

distinguish two guns, and then a continual roar of musketry: when we 

made off with the trunk. 

1.3 



('.•ijtt.'iiii I'.irkcr rommaiidfd his company not to fire unless 
(ircd ii|)on. The I^ritish apin-oaclied on both sides of the nieet- 
in^i house fono\vin<>- the lead of Maj. Pitcairn, who ordered the 
ininute-nien to disperse. As they did not disperse he repeated 
tile order with added emphasis, and fired his i)istol at them. 
Kach side claimed that the other fired first; hut it seems con- 
clusive- that the first shot came from the British, who fired two 
xollcys, the second with fatal effect. The minute-men returned 
a few shots from the position they had taken, and dispersed, 
continuing tiie fire as best they could from their places of 
retreat. Relative to one of the minute-men, Kdward Everett 
wrote in 1 S.'!.') : 

UoiMMU liistory docs not furnish an cxani])le of hnivcry tiiat tmt- 
sliines that of Jonas Parker. A truer licart did not l)lcc(l at 'i'her- 
mopyhe. Parker was often iienrd to say. tiiat l)e the conse((nences 
what they inig-Jit, and let otliers do w iiat they pleased, he woidd never 
run from the enemy. He \\as as j^ood as his «ord — better. Havinf? 
loaded his musket, he placed his iiat. containinf'' the ^u^ullnnition, on the 
fjronnd between his feet in reailiness for a second chai-jic At the second 
firi' he was woniulcd and sank upon liis knt'cs; and in tliis condition, 
discharjied his jiiui. \\niile ioadini;' il ai;.iin. u](on liis knees, and striv- 
inji' in the a}><)nit's of de.-illi to i-eih'cin his pled^^x'. he was transfixed l)y 
a baxonet : — and thus died on tiie spot w in're lie first stood and fell. 



After about half an 
hour's delay the Hrit- 
isli proceeded to ( 'on- 
cord. w here t hey were 
so warndy received 
t li;it I licy soon bciian 
t heir retreat <>\ fr the 
same route. 'i"hc\ 

were attacked by the 

*See letter rmin l,t. C«\. 
Smith to Gen. Gage writton 
April 22. 1775. Proceedings 
of Mass. Hist. .Soc, May, 187G. 
Also, see DeBernicre's Narra- 
tive. 




MliSrONI', OK I Al 



]4 




15 




ii;itlierin<)- army of patriots 
IVom all sides. The British 
officers tried to restore order 
ainony their soldiers and 
clieek the retreat l)ut in vain, 
til! tiiey met l*.,arl Percy with 
reinforcements half a mile 
beyond Lexinyton C'onunon 
toward Boston. Here, under 
ihc protection of two Held 
l)icces and the reinforce- 
ments, the British had their 
first rest after sixteen hours 
steady marchinj)'. Jhey re- 
mained in this vicinity about 
two hours, p i 1 1 a <>■ i n j>- and 
burning' several buildinos, 
killinji cattle, etc. After carinji' for their wountlcd at Munroe 
Taxern, ealiiiii' and drinking all that they could yet, they 
killed the sirvinyman, set fire to the house and resumed their 
retreat. Kortunalcly the fire was discovered and extinguished 
i>cforc nuich damage had been done. 

Seven Lexington men (and one Wol)urn man) were killed, 
and nine wnmuhd on or near tiie C'onunon in the morning, aiul 
;; wcic killed and I wounded in the atternoon. Thus Lexington 
lost more men during tlu' day than any other town, Danvers 
Ix-ing second willi a loss of 7 killed, .'! wounded, anil 1 missing, 
ihc total losses for llu' day were, Provincials, 4!' killed, 8(3 
wounded and .") missing; British, 7.'5 killed, 171- wounded and 
'Jtj missing. .Such, in brief, were the events which in Lexing- 
ton ushered in the Dawn of Libertv. 



(Ill,, w I I I JAM M IN UOi:. 

oHDKUi.v sKiurr. oi' 
CAir. i'AicKi:u"s company 



Ur. .SuiiiMcl I'rcscoll mentioned in RevtMc's iiarralivo was a son of Abel and 
.\bif:;iil (HriKliani) I'rcseott and was born in Concord, August 19, 17;")!. He bad been 
ealbnjron a Miss Midliken of I,i-xintcton before lie joined Revere and Dawes. He 
was later taken prisoner and carried to Halifa.x, N. .S,, where he died in prison. 



Hi 



TT was twenty years after tlie Pili)riiiis landed at I'lynioiith 
and five years after Feter Bulkley settled at Concord when 
Ro<>er Herlarkenden built the first house in Canihridye Farms, 
(l()40). Cambridge, about this time, comprised a lar<>e tract 
of land extending from the Charles River on the Soutli, aloiiji 
the Shawshine to the Merrimac River on the North. 

The first settlement was near Vine Brook. Most of the 
meatlows and some of the uplands were found free tVom wood 
and brush, probably having been burned by the Indians. Before 
these lands were permanently settled, Cambridge people used 
them as an adtlitional source of hay. Prominent among the 
early inhabitants who settled here are tlie names Mumoe, Tidd, 
Bowman, Bridge, Reid, Wellington and Merriam. Cambridge 
Farms remained the north precinct of Cambridge till KiiU when 
it was incorporated as a separate parish. 

Benjamin P>stabrook was the first minister of the town at 
a salary ot £4'0 a year, with (juarterly contributions. After 
three years the contributions were to cease and the salary be 
then fixed at £56. A meeting house was built on the south- 
east corner of the Connnon where the granite pulpit now stands. 
Mr.Estabrook son of Rev. Ben- 
jamin Estabrook was born at 
Concord, February 24, 1071 — 
graduated from Harvard 1090 
— called to the church in Lex- 
ington 1692 and died at Lex- 
ington, July 22, 1697. On the 
7th of November, 1697, John 
Hancock of Cambridge was 
chosen to preach till the follow- 
ing Ma\'. He was publicly or- 
dained November 2, 1698, and 
continued his ministry here for 
fifty-five years. He was set- 
led on the same terms as had 
been agi-eed upon with Mr. 
Estabrook, with £80 for settle- 




UtV. JOHN IIANl OCK 

{Painted !>> .Smibeit) 



17 




i:i.l/.\Hl:i M I I AUK IIAMOIK 
WIVK Ol II l:\ . .lOMN IIAN( (K K 

(r.iMiicd by Sriiil)frt) 



mint. One liundrt-d and fi)it\ - 
eii)ht aiTcs of ministerial 
land *" was purchased of Cam- 
bridge for eighteen shillings. 

The town was incorpo- 
rated as Lexington, March ,S], 
171.S, taking its name prob- 
ably IVoin Lord Lexington, a 
British statesman of promi- 
nence at that time. J'own 
officers were innnediately 
chosen and the following 
month the selectmen voted 
' to erect a payer of stocks '" 
as re(|iiired by law. Just 
where the stocks were built 
is uncertain, but probably, 
aci'ordiiig to common custom, near the meeting house. 

This same year a new meeting house was built near the 
site of the old one. It was ;-)() ft. by 40 ft. and '^S ft. high. 
The first school house was erected in 1 7 1 •') on the Common 
whcrt- the granite nictnument now stands. 

The town early became noted for its military spirit and 
took an actixf pai't in the French and Indian wars. The staunch 
character and determination of the men composing the militia 
were finall.v (bsijlaycd in the l)attle on the Common, April 19, 
ITT"", when Capt. .h)hn Parker and 7»i men fac-ed tiOO trained 
soldiers of Britain. Lexington nun |)articipatcd in 1 7 different 
campaigns during the ie\ olulion. 

The po|)ulation of tiie town in 177."> N\as not more than 800. 
In the ('i\il war the town furnished more than her full quota. 

in 1S7.") tlic town celebrated tiie centennial anniversary of 
till- battle in an elal)orate way. Business in Boston and through- 
out this part of llie State was generally suspended, and from an 
early hour i)e(jple jjoured into Lexington by every possible con- 
veyance. The streets were soon so crowded that carriages could 



18 




19 




sTAiri: OF 

SAMIKI, ADAMS 
IN TOWN MAIL 



not approach within a 
mile of the center. 
Ca re t'u 1 e s t i ma t e s 
|)lace(l the number of 
visitors at 100,000. 
Tlie (lay was ushered 
in by a salute of 100 
j>uns at sunrise. '1 "he 
weather was fair t)ut 
very cold for the season, 
atul the experiences at 
dinner in the bijj tent 
on the Connnon and at 
the l)all in the eveninj" 
have been an unending 
source of anecdote. 

Anion"' the "uests 




STATTK OF 
JOHN HANrO( K 
IN TOWN HAI.l. 



of honor were President U. S. drant and his cabinet. One of 
the most interesting ceremonies of the day Avas the unveilin{>' of 
the statues of Adams and Hancock, in Carrara marble. That 
r)f Adams was made in Home by Martin Milmore, of Boston, 
()f Hancoc-k in Florence by Thomas H. (lould, also of Boston. 
The contracts stipulated that the statues should be delivered in 
Lexiniiton on (tr before .January 1, 187.'', Init it was not until 
Saturd.iy, Ai)ril 17, that their arrival was witnessed, with in- 
tense relief, i)y the liyht of a bright moon. 

Another important presentation to the town at this time 
w.is I'itc.iirn's pistols, by Mrs. John V. Putnam of Cambridge, 
N. ^'. On the retreat of the Biitish on the afternoon of April 
U>, ITT."), a skirmish took place near Fiske's Hill in which Maj. 
I'itcairn was wounded and fell from his horse. These pistols 
with till' horse and accoutrements were captured by the Pro- 
vincials, and later sold at auction in Concord. The holsters 
and pistols were purchased by Nathan Barrett, who presented 
them to (Jeneral Putnam from whom they descended to his 
grandson, the husband (deceased) of the donor. 

.\t one time considerable manufacturing was done in^^Lex- 



20 




IlOriDKU MAUKINCl MNK OF BATTLE 



ington, particularly in the East village, but to-day the town is 
chiefly a residential suburb. There are many good farms devoted 
to gardening and the production of milk. In 187.5 Worcester 
was the only place in the .State that produced more milk than 
Lexington. The land is rugged and much diversified. For the 
most part it is productive and contains several rich peat meadows. 
The town is noted for its healthfulness and high elevation, be- 
ing about 10 miles from the coast and 230 feet above sea level. 
A steam railroad was built from Lexington to Boston in 
184t), and in 1900-1901 electric street railroads were built to 
Arlington, Bedford, Waverly, Concord, Waltham and Woburn. 
The population of the town and valuation by .50 year periods 
has been as follows : — 1 6.50, population 30, valuation unknown ; 
1700, population 3.50, valuation unknown; 1750, population 
761, valuation unknown; 1800, population 1006, valuation 
$2.51,052.00; 1850, population 1888, valuation $1,869,4.53.00; 
1900, population 3831, valuation $5,182,060.00; 1920, popu- 
lation 7776, valuation about $9,945,296.00. 

In 1913 the town commemorated the two hundredth anni- 



21 



versarj' of its incorpor.itinn, |)roreedin<is and addresses of which 
were publislied. 

BOULDER. 

The words of (apt. Parker are found in a letter by his 
grandson, Theoditri' Parker, to Georye Bancroft as a tradition 
in the Parker family. It was confirmed hy Col. Wm. Munroe, 
orderly sergeant of ('ai)t. Parker's company. 

The estimated weiji'lit of this boulder is fifteen tons. 

LEXINGTON COMMON. 

A conunittee was chosen at a |)ublic meetinj>- in 1707 to 
treat with Nibour Miiz/y " about the purchase of a ])iece of 
land lyin<r north of the meetint>- house. Four years later nego- 
tiations were completed and in consideration of £16 Nibour 
Mu/zy ** deeded to the inhabitants of Cimbridye Farms a cer- 
tain parcel of land, estimated to contain oiii' and one-half acres. 
In I7'~"i the town enlai-i^ed the Conniion l)y the i)urchase of an 
additional acre at a cost of t'I'>. This was the oriyin of Lex- 
injiton ("onnnon, the birthplace of American liberty. 

BUCKMAN TAVERN. 

Theri' ai'c at least fen houses slandini^ in Lexington t(i-da\ 
that antedate tlic Hcxolution. 




II (( K M AN I'.WiatN 









i, 


c 


z. 




u 


o 




z 


^ 


CJ 


r; 


o 


H 


u 


c 


2; 


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2 






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^ 










a 


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c 


r/l 


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W 


4; 


— 



_ o 



23 



Of thf twelve taverns once doing active business in Lex- 
in<>ton, tlie oldest was built in HiPO by Benjamin Muzzey, and 
is now known as Hucknian I'avern. It stands on Bedford 
Street bi-side tlie old battle f>round and is now in the charge of 
Lexington Historical Society. It has been carefully restored 
to its original character and will be preserved to posterity as a 
witness of the opening scenes of the American Revolution. 

It contained the first store in town and in it the first post- 
ofiice was opened in 1S12. The business of this house was said 
to be more with carriage folks"* than with teamsters. It 
contained nine fireplaces and is architecturally the finest of the 
old houses in town. 

•lohn Buckman, a member of Capt. Parker's Company, 
was the landlord in 1775, and here the minute-men assembled 
on the morning of the battle. 

Two wounded British soldiers were brought here on the 
afternoon of the conflict, one of whom died and was buried in 
the old cemetery. The 
building proudly retains 
the scars made by British 
bullets during the oidy offi- 
cial visit ever ])aid to Lex- 
ington by His Majesty's 
sdldicrs. The grounds sur- 
rounding the tavci'n were 
purchased by the town in 
liU'A and made a part of 
the town park -system. 

MONUMENT. 

On the west side of 
the old C'onnnon, on the 
site of Lexington's first 
school-house, stands the 
g r a n i t e m o n u m cut, 
trcctcd in I 7!'!', in mem- 
ory of the men killed in tiie UKVOII TIONAH V SOI.nlKRs' MOKUMKNT 

24 





THK OLD HEI.KUY 



Battle of Lexinjitoii and 
the cause tor ^vlli(•h they 
fouo'bt and died. It is 
probably the first monu- 
ment of the Rev(»]iitioii. 

The bodies of the 
slain were ori<vinall\ bur- 
ied in a common <>iave in 
the old cemetery, but in 
1835 the remains \\<rc 
taken up, placed in a lead 
covered casket, this en- 
cased in a mahogany sar- 
cophagus and deposited in 
a tomb that had been con- 
structed in front of the 
foundation of this monu- 
ment. Edward Everett 
was the orator of the occa- 
sion. The inscription on this monument was written by Rev. 
Jonas Clarke, the minister of the town from ^755 to 1S0,5. 
(See page 6.) 

Here, beside this old monument, Lafayette was welcomed 
to Lexington, September 2, 1824, and here Kossuth was received 
by the town. May 11, 18.V2. 

In recent years it has bect)me a custom on Memorial l)av 
to decorate this monument witli wreaths and flowers. 

BELFRY. 

At a Town Meeting held June 1,5, 1701, " Mr. Isaac Stone 
of Said Town Came into Said Meeting & Gave y*^ town a Bell 
to be for the Towns Use forever, which Bell was there (S: 
weighted four hundred and Sixty three pounds, for which y*^ 
Moderator in y*" name of y^ Town Returned him thanks : 

Then voted to hang y*^ Bell on y® top of y^ Hill upon y*^ 
North side of Lie*^ Jonas Munroes house.** 

The committee for building this Bell free " rendered 




HO.MI': OF :»IA1{UETT AND NATHAN JIUNROK 

tiu'ir nccduiit tlic toUowiiiii' jear, which shows the cost to have 
been .£21-12^-10>^f/. 

In 17(i8, it was renio\ cd to the south side of the Cminnon, 
tlic site now marked by iioulder and tablet. Here it remained 

for thirty years sumnioiiiiiii- the i)eople to worship, warning them 
at nine at night to I'ake up the tii'cs and go to bed and tolling 
for Ihcni when, one after another, they passed away."* From 
this beltVy the alarm was rung on the morning of April 19, ITT-*^, 
calling the minutc-nicn to the Connnon. It was purchased by 
a son of ("apt. Parker in l?!!?, and ix-nioved to the Parker place 
in the South part of the town where it was used for a wheel- 
wright's shop. There it remained till ]Sf»l, when it was pre- 
sented to the Lexington Historical Society by Mr. James S. Mun- 
roe, and removed to Helfry Hill near the s|)ot where it was built. 
Much weakened by decay, it was destroyed by a gale on June 
'20, I !»()!'. The Belfry, now on the first site of the original, is 
;in exact rejiroduction, erected by the Lexington Historical 
.Society, lino. The bell long ago disappeared, but the tongue 



2(i 



— .-r-ji-.r r- 



ISTTT^TS-J^ — 



' i ' ' I nm i 












:;^^^-^: 



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,^.^^ 






y''^' 









^^ 



/ 



,^^/-^-^'^// 






BILL OF DR. FISKE FOR (ARE OF WOUNDKI) BRITISH J(OLDIFHS 



27 



is treasured by the town as a valuable relie of the past and may 
be seen in the safe at the Hancock-Clarke House. 

MARRETT MUNROE HOUSE. 

On the opjjosite side of the avenue from the Soldier's 
Monument, stands the house of Marrett and Nathan Munroe, 
built 17'2n, thorouyhlv rei)aired and restored to its original 
character in 1!' 1 5. 

HANCOCK-CLARKE HOUSE. 

Next after the battleffround, this old parsonaye is the most 
interestinjr and important place, historically, in Lexington. 

It stands on Hancock street, about five minutes walk from 
the Common. The one-stf)ry irambrel roofed ell was the original 
house built by Rev. John Hancock, in 16!>S. It contained a 
}>-ood sized livini>- i-oom and the i)ars<tn's study down stairs, and 
two small, low chambers. Rev. John Hancock, son f>f Nathaniel 
was born at Cambridge, 1 (i7 1 , graduated from Harvard, ]()81>, 
;n)d settled in Lexington, Ki!)?. He married Elizabeth Clark 
ot Chelmsford, and to them three sons and two daughters were 
born and reared to maturity in this small dwelling. The frame 
is oak, hewed by 
hand, and shows 
little sign ot" decay. 

In 1 7." !• Thomas 
I l.iiicoek, I he secdiul 
--on of Ke\ . John 
I lancock, at this 
time a prosperous 
Huston merchant , 
l)uilt the main por- 
t ion of the house for 
his |)arents. T h e 
wainscotting, in this 
part of the house 
is particularly.hand- 




Mi:i:i iNc-uoi si: tahi.kt, i,i:xim;ton io.m.mon 



28 




i;ni UY — MuxnoE tavern 



some. Ill all, there are eight 
rooms witli a fireplace in each, 
except one chamber. The 
outer walls of" both portions 
of the house contain a layer 
of bricks extendini>- from the 
sills to the eaves. Here Rev. 
John Hancock lived from 
1G98 till his death in 1725, 
and because of his wide ac- 
(juaintance and oreat influ- 
ence he was often called 
Bishop Hancock. 

In 17.5.0 Rev. Jonas 
Clai'ke, M'ho married a grand- 
daughter of Mr. Hancock, 

lip/.niii»^ tVif. tl.irrl ivicfni- ..f Showing- Chair used by Georgk Washington 
Decame tne tlina pastOl or at the dinner in Munroe Tavern, Nov.S, 1789 

Lexington and occupied this 

house. He was born at Newton, 17.S(), was graduated from 
Harvard, 1752, and died in Lexington, 1805. As a man of ster- 
ling character, preacher and patriot, he exerted a powerful in- 
fluence on both private and public affairs. 

John Hancock, the governor and signer of the Declaration, 
spent much time in his boyhood at this old home of his grand- 
parents, and here he was visiting in company with Samuel 
Adams when Paul Revere made his famous ride. 

Here, also, at this time was the beautiful Dorothy (^uincy, 
John Hancock's fiancee, to whom he was married the follow- 
ing August. 

Solomon Brown of Lexington had been to market at Boston, 
April 18, and on his return late in the afternoon informed Sergt. 
Munroe that he had seen nine British officers passing up the 
road. Munroe, suspecting that their intention was to capture 
Hancock and Adams, placed a guard of well-armed men about 
this old house. Some time after Paul Revere delivered his 
message of warning, Hancock and Adams, for their greater 



29 




Iiorsi: OK JONATHAN HARHINGl'ON 

safety, were conducted to the old parsona<>e in Burlington and 
later to Mr. Amos Wyman's house in Billerica. Hancock sent 
a letter back to Dorothy (^uincy, re([uestin<>' her to follow him 
and bring the fine sahnon that had been sent to them for their 
dinner, which she accordingly did. At the time of tJie battle 
it was all open coiuitry between Mr. Clarke's house and the 
battle ground, and the tiring was plainly seen from the chambers. 
The house originally stood on the op])osite side of the street 
tVuni its present htcation. With the aid of patriotic men and 
women in various parts of the country, Lexington Historical 
Societ.v purchased the house, removed it to its present position 
in 18!t(), and restored it as far as possible to its original condi- 
tion. It contains the valuable and interesting collection of the 
Historical Society. It is kept open to the public from March 1 
to l)eceml)i-r ."1 , .-ind is visited annually i)y over twenty thousand 
jjeople, representing every state in the Union, as well as many 
foreign countries. Admission is I'ree. On Sundays it is open 
onl\ in the afternoon. 



.SO 



MUNROE TAVERN. 

About a mile east of the Coniinoii, on Massachusetts Ave- 
nue, stands Munroe Tavern, built in 1695 by William Munroe 
and occupied in 177) by liis <>randson Sergeant William Munroe. 
When Earl Percy reached Lexington with reinforcements on the 
afternoon of April 19, 1775, he made this old hostelry his head- 
quarters, here his wounded soldiers were cared for and others 
refreshed at the tavern's expense. Mrs. Munroe and her chil- 
dren hid in the woods behind the house. John Raymond, an 
inmate, was wantonly shot.* Washington was entertained at 
this tavern in 178!>, and the chair, table, dishes and hat-rack 
used by him are shown. Some time after 1770 an ell, now 
removed, was built on the north-west side of the house. It 
contained a hall about 60 x 20 feet, in which balls and parties 
were held, and here Hiram Lodge of Free Masons was instituted 
December 12, 1797. By the bequest of the late James S. Munroe, 
Munroe Tavern is now the i)roperty of the Lexington Historical 
Society and is o])en to visitors. It contains many valuable 
relics. 

THE HARRINGTON HOUSE. 

On one corner of Kim 
Avenue and Bedford Street, 
about ten rods back of the 
line of the minute-men in the 
battle, is to be seen the home 
of Jonathan Harrington, who, 
wounded by a British bullet, 
dragged himself to the door 
and there died at his wife's 
feet. The house originally 
was one of the most elegant 
of that period in town and 
was renovated in the most 
perfect manner in 1910. 

*See Hudson's History of Lexingr- 
ton— Bi-Centenarv Edition. 19i:<-Vol 

I p 174 THKODOUh I'AHKEK 








oi.i) m uviKG gkoi:nd, iiancock-ci.arke tomb in centbe 

MASONIC TEMPLE, formerly the first Normal School. 

Oil the opposite eorner from the Harrington house stands 
the Masonic 'I'em])le, occupied by Simon W. Robinson Lodge, 
A. l'\ and A. M. The main part of this building was erected 
in \S2''2 for the Lexington Academj-, wliich was discontinued 
about ten years later. On July 3, 1839, the first Normal School 
in Americ-n was opened here under the direction of the Rev. 
Cyrus Pierce with three pujjils enrolled. 

THEODORE PARKER. 

'riicodore Parker was born on the old homestead in the 
south part of Lexington, then known as " Kite End." 

Here his grandfather, Capt. John Parker, had lived, and 
from this i)lace he was summoned by the alarm l)ell to conmiand 
his comi);my, April 19, ITTo. 

Theodore Parker was the most notable man Lexington has 
ever produced. He was born August 24, 1810, in the old house 



whose former location is now niarkid by the ji'ranite monument 
placed there by his devoted parishioners. The house in which 
he was born was destroyed some time previous to 1850. He 
was a rare scholar, a liberal thinker, a remarkable preacher, 
prolific writer, a oreat lover of nature and his fellow creatures. 
He died in Florence, May 10, 18G(), and was buried in the 
Protestant cemetery there. 

THE OLD BURYING GROUND. 

A short distance from Massachusetts Avenue near the junc- 
tion of Elm Avenue and in the rear of the Unitarian Church is 
the old burying ground. It is a pleasant plot with outlook 
across broad meadows to rising hills in the distance. 

So far as known, it contains the oldest graves in town ; 
there are two or three stones bearing the date of 1G90, and 
probably older unmarked graves. Here the bodies of the Lex- 
ington men, killed in the battle, were originally buried in one 
grave. Here a British soldier who was wounded on April 19 
and died in Buckman Tavern April 21, 1775, was buried. It 
contains the graves of the first three ministers of the town — 
Estabrook, Hancock and Clarke. In 1884 the town erected 
a substantial granite monument over the grave of Capt. John 
Parker. A marble obelisk marks the grave of Gov. Wm. 
Eustice, a surgeon in the Revolution and governor of Massa- 
chusetts 1823-1825. John Augustus was buried in tomb No. 4, 
near the entrance. He was born in Burlington, Mass., 1784, 
moved to Lexington 1805 or 180G and bought the Dr. P'iske 
property at the corner of Bedford Street and Elm Avenue, 
where he manufactured shoes. He left Lexington about 1827 
and became famous in Boston as a reformer of criminals, in 
connection with the courts of justice, where he personally cared 
for over seven hundred persons. 

The Hancock tomb contains the remains of Rev. and Mrs. 
John Hancock, Rev. Ebenezer Hancock, Rev. and Mrs. Jonas 
Clarke, Mrs. Mary Clarke Ware, — wife of Rev, Henry Ware, 
D.D., — and three other children of Mr. Clarke. The tomb 

33 




iMi: (ii,i)i:sT (i i{ \vi:st()m: in iim: did i; u a\ i ^ a ii d 

was sralfd in I S |. !•, w licii llic last (lauulitcr ol Mr. Clarke was 
hiiricd llicrc. 

• Idlm ( ircciilcar W lii'i t ici' wrote llic follow iim' poem to ae- 
conipaiiy llic bust of lion, .'tannic! I,. Sew. ill in Cary Mcnional 
Library : 

lake tlial ancestral jiidiiC ^^ ho bore liis name, 
I'.iillilnl to I'reedoin and to Trulli, lu' i^ave, 

W lii'ii all the air w;is hot with wr.ith ,ind bl.anie, 
Ills youth and manhood to the fetlei'ed sla\i'. 

And never Woman in her siifl'erinn' saw 
.\ helper teiidei', wise and l)ra\(' as he, 

I.iltinii her burden of uniMLihteous law, 

Me shamed the boast of .ancient chi\alry. 

Noiseless as liylit tli;it melts the darkness is. 
He wrought as duty led and honor bid. 

No trumpc't heralds victories like his, 
'I'he unselfish worker in his work is hiil. 



.'54 




CAitY :me.mouiai. i.ihiiakv 



RELICS. 

I.FXINC TON rossKSSKS MANV INTKU ESII NO AND VALIAHIK IIKI.US 

oi' PAST c'KN'i Till i:s. jtANY oi' wiiu'H Alu: u 1 :i ' I :ii II 1 : 11 

TO Kl,Si;\VHKHK IX THIS HOOK 

In the Town Hall is a fine oil painting S x 1'^ feet of the 
Battle of Lexington by Henry Sandhani, owned In the Lexing- 
ton Historical Society. ()i\ the frame are these inscriptions — 
"Too i'i:\v TO KKSisr, too huavi: to kly." 

"THE DAWN OF LIBKHTY." 

Al'Un, if) LEXINOTOX — 1*75. 

('I'liis |)ictiirc is rc|)ro(hicc(l on tlic cover of tills i)ook. ) 

Statue of John Hancock by Thomas R. (jould. 
Statue of Samuel Adams by Martin Milmore. 

In Hancock Church, stained glass window in memory of 
Rev. Pjdward Griffin Porter. 
Copy of Murillo's The Immaculate Conception." 

In parlor of First Parish Church, Portraits of the Pastors 
f)f this Church. 

In the Hancock School, a painting l)y .lames M. Mart. 

35 



GARY MEMORIAL LIBRARY. 

was established in 1S()<S, l)y a i)it't from Mrs. William H. Gary, 
and the ))resent memorial lniildin<r, a <>ift to the town from Miss 
Alice B. Cary, was dedieated in 190(1. Willard 1). Brown of 
Lexington, architect. It is open ever)' week day from 10 a.m. 
to 8 P.M. It contains about 29,000 volumes with a cajjacity for 
,>;■), 000 volumes; reading, study and art rooms; a marble bust of 
Theodore Parker, made by Sidney H. Morse, 1876; a bust of 
Samuel K. Sewall, by Miss Anne Whitney of Boston (see ])age 
.Si) ; a bust of Brig. Gen'l William Francis Bartlett ; a fine large 
oil painting of Columbus at the court of Ferdinand and Isabella 
of Castille," by V. Brozik, of Paris: a portrait of Earl Percy, a 
copy by Pope, 1879, from the original, by Pompeo Bartoni ; 
portrait of Paul Hevere, by .lane E. Bartlett, 1883, after Gilbert 
Stuart. 1 8 1 ,S ; a portrait of William Dawes (copy), painter of 
the original unknown : |)ortrait of Col. William Munroe, Orderly 
Sergeant of C'apt. Pai'kc r's company, by Greenwood (painted 
on wood); jjortrail of Samuel Bowman; portrait of William H. 
Cary, by Edgar Parker (from i)hotogi-ai)h ) ; portrait of Mrs. 
William H. Cary, by Edgar Parker, 1871; oil painting. The 
AxcTistrasse, by .los. Jansen ; oil painting, Swiss Scene, by L. 
Scliell: oil painting, The Old Mill at Hiram, Maine, by F. 11. 
Sii.-ipleigii ; etc. 

HANCOCK-CLARKE HOUSE 

is the chief i-epository of the town and contains the larger part 
of the collection of the Historical Society, numbering over '2,200 
articles. Coiniected with this house is a commodious fireproof 
safe for the |)reservation of the more valuable i)roperty. Promi- 
nent in this collection are portraits of Rev. and Mrs. John 
Haneoc-k, painted by Smibert, silhouette — life size — of Rev. 
.lonas Clarke, set of Doolittle's engravings of the battle of Lex- 
ington and Concord, swoi'd of Robert Newman who hung the 
lanterns in the North Church steeple for Paul Revere, pocket- 
l)ook of .Joshua Bentley who rowed Revere "across the Charles 
Ki\tr on tiie night of April 18, 1 77.i, cannon balls fired by 
Earl Percy's troops A|)ril lit, 1775, muskets and swords, used 

36 



by minute-men, silk vest and }iold ring once worn by Gov. 
John Hancock, ink well and sermon case and letter seal of 
Theodore Parker, lantern formerly used by Paul Revere, the 
drum that beat the alarm for the minute-men to assemble, 
Maj. Pitcairn's pistols, miniature on ivory of Maj. Pitcairn, 
copied from original, stamp issued under the British Stamp Act 
of 1765, tongue of the bell which alarmed the town on April 
19, 1775, bill of Dr. Joseph Fiske of Lexington for caring for 
the wounded British Soldiers, banner which welcomed Lafayette 
1824, fui-niture and implements of colonial days, valuable 
manuscripts and publications. 

MUNROE TAVERN. 

Portraits of the Munroe family of the Revolutionary period 
and of those of the great-great-grandchildren of Col. Munroe 
who served in the Great War; the bread-trough in which Mrs. 
Munroe mixed bread the night before the battle of Lexington ; 
a cabinet containing many articles belonging to various mem- 
bers of the Munroe family such as the wedding ring, bonnet, 
and slippers of Mrs. Col. Munroe; the Masonic Punch bowl, 
apron, and seal which belonged to Col. Munroe, first Master of 
Hiram Lodge, instituted in the tavern in 1797 ; the muster-role 
of Earl Percy's regiment, an autograph letter and two por- 
traits of the same ; a desk and other articles of furniture in the 
tavern at the time of Col. Munroe; a collection of articles con- 
nected with William Dawes ; old flip tables and tavern chairs ; 
the table, chair, hat-rack, and dishes used by Washington when 
he was entertained at the tavern in 1789 ; and an autograph sur- 
vey and map made by Washington (loaned by Mr. Harry F. Fay). 



37 




MODEKN I.KXIKGTOX, THE OLD BELFRY CLUB 

GUIDE TO PLACES OF INTEREST. 

Visitors will find it to their advantage to see the various places in the 
following order, starting at the " Minute-man " and going north on 
the west side of the Common. 

1. Fountain and Minute-man. 

2. Lexington Common. 

3. Meeting House Tablet on the Common. 

4. House of Marrett and Nathan Munroe. 

Massachusetts Ave., beside the Common. See page 26. 

5. Monument on the Common. 

L). Ye Old Burying Ground." 

Massachusetts Ave., entrance marked by Boulder near junc- 
tion of Elm Ave. See p. 33. 

7. First Parish Church, Erected 1847, Isaac Melvin, 

Architect. 
Elm Ave. 

8. Harrington House. 

Corner of Elm Ave. and Bedford St. See p. 30. 

9. Masonic Hai.l. 

Dedicated, 191H. Elm Ave., between Bedford and Hancock 
Sts. The main part of this building was erected IH'2'2 for the 
Lexington Academy and in this building the first Normal 
School in America was opened July 3, 1839, 



'AH 



10. Hancock-Clarke House. 

Hancock Street. In this old house Hancock and Adams 
were sleeping when aroused by Paul llevere. It contains the 
valuable collection belonging to Lexington Historical Society. 
Open to the public. 

1 1 . FisKE House. 

The home of Surgeon Fiske who cared for the provincial and 
British soldiers who were wounded, April 19, 177.0. 

il^^ Returning along East Side qf Common. 

12. Boulder Marking the Position of the Minute-men on 

THE Common. See p. 21. 

l.S. BucKMAN Tavern, Containing British Bullet Holes. 
Bedford St., beside the Common. See p. 22. 

14. Old Belfry. 

Belfry Hill off Clarke St., to the right. See p. 25. 

15. Cary Memorial Library. 

Massachusetts Ave., open from 10 a.m. to 8 i>.m. 

Id. Town Hall. 

Containing the Sandhani painting of the Battle. 

17. Stone Cannon. 

Massachusetts Ave., on High School Grounds. 

18. Stone Tablet. 

Massachusetts Ave., near Bloomfield Street. 

19. Munroe Tavern. See pp. 7, 29 and 37. 

Massachusetts Ave., about three quarters of a mile from the 
Common. 

20. Sanderson House. 

Near Munroe Tavern. A wounded British soldier was left here. 

21. House of Jonathan Harrington, the Last Survivor 

OF THE Battle of Lexington. 
Massachusetts Ave., East Lexington. 

22. Tablets. 

Corner of Pleasant Street and Follen Road, East Lexington. 

2.S. Birthplace of Theodore Parker. 

About two miles south of the Common. 

24. Tablets on Concord Road. 

S9 



INSCRIPTIONS ON ALL THE HISTORIC TABLETS IN THE 
TOWN OF LEXINGTON. 



ON THE STONE PULPIT ON THE COMMON. 



Site of the First Three Meeting 
Houses in Lexington 

Bl'Il.T 1699 WHKK TllK TOWN WAS A PAR- 
ISH OF Camhiudgb:. 

Built 1T13 on tiuc incorpouation of 
Lexington. 

BriLT 1794. Bt'RNED 184(j. This spot 
IS thus identified with the Town's 
History for 130 years. 



I 

II 

III 



PASTORATES 

Benjamin Estabrook - - - - 1692-1697 

John Hancock ------ 1698-1732 

Jonas Clarke ------ 1733-1803 

Avery Williams ----- 1807-1813 

Charles Briggs ----- 1819-1833 

William C. Swett - - - - 1836-1839 

Jason Whitaian ----- 1843-1846 



TABLETS ABOUT THE COMMON. 



house built 1690 

KNOWN as the 

HUCKMAN TAVERN 

a h e n d e z v o it s of th e 

Minute Men 
a mark for british bullets 

APRIL 19, 1773 



HOUSE OF 

Jonathan Harrington 

who wounded on the c031m0n 

APRIL 19, 1775 

dragged himself to the 

door and died at his 

wife's feet 



HOUSE OF 

Marrett and Nathan 
Munroe 

BUILT 1729 
A WITNESS OF THE BATTLE 



LINE 


OF THE MINUTE 


MEN 




APRIL 19, 


1775 




STAND YOUR GKOl'ND DON* 


r FIRE UNLESS FIRED 


UPON BUT 


IF TIIKY MEAN 


TO HAVE A 


WAR LET 


IT BEGIN 


HERE. 










-Captain 1 


\irker. 



STONtL TABLET, COR. PLEASANT ST, 



NEAR THIS SPOT AT EARLY DAWN ON THE 19tII 

OF April, 1773, Benjamin Wellington, 
A minute man was surprised by British 

SCOUTS AND DISARMED. WITH UNDAUNTED 
courage HE BORROWED ANOTHER GUN AND 
HASTENED TO JOIN HIS COMRADES ON LEX- 
INGTON Green he also served his country 

AT WHITE PLAINS AND SARATOGA. THE FIRST 
ARJIED MAN TAKEN IN THE REVOLUTION 



birthplace of 
Deliverence Munroe 

DAUGHTER OF 

Marrett and Deliverence Munroe 

AND WIFE OF 

Ensign John Winshu' 

THIS TABLET PLACED BY DELIVERENCE JIl'NROE 

CHAPTER DAI'GHTERS OF REVOLUTION 

MARCH 1900 



TABLET ON THE OLD BELFRY. 



THIS HELFRY WAS ERECTED ON THIS HILL IN 1761 
AND REMOVED TO THE COMMON IN 1768. In 
IT WAS HUNG THE BELL WHICH HUNG OUT 
THE ALARM ON THE 19tH OF APRIL 1773 
IN 1797 IT WAS REMOVED TO THE PARKER HOME- 
STEAD IN THE SOUTH PART OF THE TOWN 
IN 1891 IT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THIS SPOT BY 

THE Lexington Historical Society 
REBUILT 1910 



4.0 



TABLETS ON HANCOCK STREET. 



BUILT 1()9H KM.AIUILD 1734 

RESIDENCE OF 

Rev. John Hancock 55 years 
axd of his successor 

Rkv. .Ionas Clarke 50 years 

HERE Samuel Adams and John Hancock 

were sleeping when aroused by 

Paul Revere April 19, 177.5 



Built 173-2 

HOUSE OF 

Dr. Joseph Fiskk 

who attended the wounded april li) 1775 

and served in the continental army 

as surgeon throughout the war 



STONE TABLETS ON THE CONCORD ROAD. 



at this well april 19, 1775 
James Hayward of Acton 

MET A BRITISH SOLDIER WHO RAISING HIS GUN 

SAID YOU ARE A DEAD MAN 

AND 90 ARE YOU REPLIED HaYWARD 

ROTH FIRED THE SOLDIER WAS INSTANTLY 

KILLED AND HaYWARD MORTALLY 

WOUNDED 



This Bluff was used as a Rallying 

Point by the British 

April 19 1775 

AFTER A SHARP FIGHT THEY RETREATED TO 

FisKE Hill from which they were 

DRIVEN IN GREAT CONFUSION 



THE SITE OF THE OLD BELFRY. 



STONE CANNON, HIGH SCHOOL GROUNDS. 



The Site of the Old Belfry 

from which the alarsi was rung 

April 19 1775 

this tablet was erected by the lexington 

chapter daughters of the american 

revolution 1910 



NEAR THIS SPOT 

EARL PERCY 

with reenforcements planted a 

fieldpiece to cover the retreat of the 

British Troops 

APRIL 19 1775 



MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE. 



MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE. 





Earl Percy 


's 


Headquarters and 


Hospital 




April 19, 17 


75 


THE 


MUNROE TAVERN 




BUILT 1695 





On THE Hill to the South was Planted 

One of the British Fieldpieces 

APRIL 19 1775 

to command the VILLAGE 

AND ITS APPROACHES AND NEAR THIS PLACE 

SEVERAL BUILDINGS WERE BURNED 



EAST LEXINGTON. 



home of 
Jonathan Harrington 

THE LAST 

Survivor of the Battle of Lexington 
Born july 8 1758 died march 27 1854 



41 



BRONZE TABLET — EAST LEXINGTON. 



CHARLES FOLLEN 

born in hesse-darmstadt 
September 4, 1796 

a fearless advocate of liberty and justice exiled for conscience sake he sought 

in america the freedom denied him in the old world distingirished for rich and 

varied learning for uncompromising devotion to the cause of the oppressed and 

enslaved and for the simplicity and integrity of his character he organized in 

this town the free christian church and became its first pastor designed the 

octagon meeting house here erected and on his way to its dedication was lost in 

the burning of the steamboat '* lexington " 

on long island sound january 13 184.0 

this tablet erected 1915 



TABLET ON THE ROAD TO CONCORD. 

(IN THE TOWN OF LINCOLN.) 

AT THIS POINT, 

ON THE OLD CONCORD ROAD AS IT THEN WAS, 

ENDED THE MIDNIGHT RIDE OF 

PAUL REVERE. 

HE HAD, AT ABOUT TWO o'cLOCK OF THE MORNING OF APRIL 19 1775, THE NIGHT BEING 
CLEAR AND THE MOON IN ITS THIRD QUARTER, GOT THUS FAR ON HIS WAY FROM LeXINGTON 

to con(oki). alarming the inhabitants as he went, when he and his companions, 
William Dawes, of Boston, and Dr. Samuel Prescott, of Concord, were 

SUDDENLY HALTED BY A BrITISH PATROL, WHO HAD STATIONED THEMSELVES AT THIS BEND 
OF THE ROAD. DaWES TURNING BACK, MADE HIS ESCAPE. PrESCOTT, CLEARING THE STONE 
WALL, AND FOLLOWING A PATH KNOWN TO HIM TJIROl'GH THE LOW GROUND. REGAINED THE 
HIGHWAY AT A POINT FURTHER ON, AND GAVE THE ALARM AT CONCORD. RevERE TRIED TO 

REACH THE NEIGHBORING WOOD, BUT WAS INTERCEPTED BY A PARTY OF OFFICERS 

ACCOMPANYIN(} THE PATROL, DETAINED AND KEPT IN ARREST. PRESENTLY HE WAS CARRIED 

BY THE PATROL BACK TO LeXINGTON, THERE RELEASED, AND THAT MORNING JOINED 

Hancock and Adams. Three men of Lexington, Sanderson, Brown and Loring, 

STOPPED at an earlier HOUR OF THE NIGHT BY THE SAME PATROL, 
WERE ALSO TAKEM BACK WITH RkvEKE 



42 



MEMORANDA. 

Cambnd<>e Farms, a ])art of Cambridge, now Lexington, 
was settled about IGtO. The First Parish was organized in 
Kiiil. Benjamin Estabrook, born in Concord, 1(571, was called 
to be first pastor, ordained 1696, died 1697. John Hancock, 
born in Cambridge, 1671, became second pastor in 1697 and 
remained till his death, 17.')2. He married Elizabeth Clark of 
Clielmstbrd and to them five children were born and reared to 
manhood and womanhood in four small original rooms. Of 
these chihircn, John, the oldest, became the minister in Brain- 
tree, where his son John, the Governor and signer of the Dec- 
laration, was born January 2'A, 1737. Thomas, the second 
cliild, became the wealthy Boston merchant of his day and 
built the i'amous Hancock Mansion on Beacon Street, Boston. 
In 1734 he built the main ])art of the Hancock-Clarke house. 
Thomas had no children and left nearly all his wealth, about 
70,000 pounds, to his nephew John, the Governor. The third 
child, Elizabeth, and the fifth child, Lucj-, both married well- 
known clergymen. The fourth child, Ebenezer, graduated 
from Harvard and was settled as his father's colleague in 1734; 
he died in 1740. Jonas Clarke, born in 1730, was third 
pastor, from 17.^5 to 180.). He married Lucy Bowes, daughter 
of Rev. Nicholas Bowes of Bedford, and grandaughter of 
Rev. John Hancock of Lexington, and cousin to Mrs. Clarke, 
wife of Rev. Jonas Clarke, who lived in this house from 17.^.'' 
to 1805. 



43 



LEXINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 

Was orj>anized in ISStiaiul now has about three huiulred 
ineinhers. 

PUBLICATIONS. 

Four vohiines of Proceedinf>s. N'olumes I, III, and I\', 
8 vo., about ^50 payes each, are for sale at $1.00 {)er volume. 

Epitaphs in the Old Burvino-Groiinds, Lf.xington. By 
I'rancis H. Brown, M. D. 8 vo., about '200 pages. Price, $1.00. 

Revised edition of Hudson's History of Lf.xinoton, in 
two volumes. 191. '>. Volume 1, History. .t8,S pai^es ; Volume 
II, Genealogies, 897 pages. Price, $10.00 per set. 

Lexington, the Birthim.ace of American LIHERT^ . A 
Handbook. By Fred S. Piper. First edition, 190^; revised 
several times. The present, sixth edition, I9'20. Price, 2.5 cents. 

Guide- Book to the Hancock-Clarke House. Fifth edition, 
1918. Price, 1.5 cents, 

The Society has a complete card catalogue of all of its pos- 
sessions, which can be consulted on ai)i)lication to the Curator 
of the Society. 

Hancock-Clarke House o))en : Ai)ril I to November 1, 
9.30-5.00; Sundays, '2.0()-.5.00. November, December and 
March, ll.OO-kOO; Sundays, ^i. 00-4. 00. Not (.pen in January 
and February. 

Munroe 'I'avcrn open : Apiil I.') to November 1.5, 9.;iO-5.0{). 
Sundays, '2.0()-.5.00. 




I'ln.MUN S I'lSTOI.S, 
IN MAM 0( K-( lAHKK IIOISK 



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